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Vietnam Veterans of America – Call In Alert September 7, 2017

Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2017 8:55 am
by boardman
Passage of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017
H.R. 299 and S.422 on September 11, 2017 at
9:00 am
Call (202) 224-3121

The solidarity of our membership at all levels of Vietnam Veterans of America has been the key to our legislative victories--it is because of your actions that we have made headway in achieving any justice for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

Our work is not done. We must right a 15-year wrong.

In February 2002, the DVA changed its rules, abruptly terminating benefits to the 534,300+ Blue Water U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and FMF Marine veterans, thereby limiting the scope of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 to those veterans who could provide proof of “boots on the ground” in Vietnam. Without warning, in March 2002, offshore veterans stopped receiving VA health care and disability compensation.

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017, H.R. 299, introduced in the House by Congressman David Valadao (CA-R-21), and companion bill S.422, introduced in the Senate by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), would right this wrong, and partially restore coverage to those aggrieved veterans who suffer from illnesses considered presumptive for exposure to Agent Orange and other toxic herbicides.

We must lift our voices in unison to right this wrong and demand from our leaders that our Blue Water veterans receive the care and benefits they have justly earned in defense of our Armed Forces.

Make the Call

Let your politicians know that you are watching and that you care, make the call on September 11, 2017 at 9:00 am; ask to speak to your Representatives and Senators requesting their support for passage of The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017, also, thank your member if they have already signed onto the bill.

Ask your family, friends and colleagues who support this issue to join you and make the call too.

Telephone scripts for H.R. 299 and S.422

If you cannot call please go to http://www.capwiz.com/vva/home/ and send the prepared message in support of H.R. 299 and S.422, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017
If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Hodge, Deputy Director for Policy/Government Affairs in our National Office, 1-800-882-1316, Ext. 111.

Hit me back on September 11, at Shodge@vva.org and say I made the call.
Vietnam Veterans of America; A Not-for-Profit Veterans Service Organization Chartered by the United States Congress

Congress heard your voices on September 11, supporting The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act

Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2017 7:37 am
by boardman
Congress heard your voices on September 11, supporting The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act

Vietnam Veterans of America
Legislative Update
September 15, 2017

Thank you for contacting your Member of Congress in support of passage of H.R. 299 and S.422, The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017, introduced in the House by Congressman David Valado (CA-R-21) and in the Senate by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).

As a result of your advocacy on behalf of our Navy veterans, on September 11, 2017, Congress received hundreds of calls and over 400 letters in support of passage of the bills, and they took notice. The house bill has 300 cosponsors and the Senate bill has 43 cosponsors.

We ask that you continue to join our Call to Action every month on behalf of our Blue Water Navy veterans. With your support, we will get this bill passed into law.

Talking points H.R. 299 and S.422 http://filemanager.capwiz.com/filemanag ... gpoint.pdf
Cosponsors H.R. 299 http://filemanager.capwiz.com/filemanag ... f_2017.pdf
Noncosponsors H.R. 299 http://filemanager.capwiz.com/filemanag ... onsors.pdf
Cosponsors S.422 http://filemanager.capwiz.com/filemanag ... f_2017.pdf
Noncosponsors S.422 http://filemanager.capwiz.com/filemanag ... f_2017.pdf

Congress can never get enough of hearing from their constituents. Go to the VVA Capwiz site at http://www.capwiz.com/vva/home/, and send the prepared message in support of H.R. 299 and S.422, The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017, and please follow up on your letter with a call to your representatives’ district/state offices, using the talking points for the bills.

Again, thank you very much for a job well done,

VVA Government Relations Department